Second Hand The Letters of Private Wheeler, 1809–1828
Author : Captain B. H. Liddell Hart
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Condition
Fair condition. No dust jacket. The red cloth boards are heavily rubbed, faded, stained and marked, with significant wear to the corners and edges. The cloth is frayed and torn at both spine ends.
The binding has old adhesive-tape repairs across the spine and onto both boards. The rear joint and hinge are split. Further tape repairs are visible to the illustrated endpapers and internal gutter.
This is an ex-library copy from the Royal United Service Institution, with a large library bookplate, shelf marks, disposal stamp and handwritten notation near the front. The pages are age-toned and show occasional marks and handling wear.
Details
General - Pages : 287 | Images : Decorative illustrated endpapers and a image of Private Wheeler's original manuscript. | Publisher : Michael Joseph Ltd | Place of Publication : London, UK | Language : English
Hardback - Year of Publication : 1951 | Edition : First edition | Size : 221mm x 150mm
Click images to enlarge
The letters of William Wheeler, a private soldier who served with the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars, provide a vivid first-hand account of military life between 1809 and 1828.
Wheeler joined the 51st Regiment of Foot and took part in the Walcheren Expedition, the Peninsular War and the Waterloo campaign. His correspondence records marches, battles, camp life, discipline, hardships and encounters with civilians from the viewpoint of an ordinary rank-and-file soldier rather than a senior officer. His service later took him to France and the Mediterranean, including the Ionian Islands.
Written close to the events they describe, the letters offer an immediate and frequently candid picture of campaigning under Wellington. The collection was edited, annotated and supplied with a foreword by Captain B. H. Liddell Hart, who also provides historical context and an assessment of the Battle of Waterloo.
This is the first UK edition, published by Michael Joseph in 1951. Later editions remain in print, but the original volume is valued as an important primary account of the British soldier’s experience during the Napoleonic era.
